Preserving the rich heritage of folk culture

Bijendra Gogoi

(bijendragogoidme@gmail.com)

Northeast India is blessed with nature’s bounty. The mystic nature, the myths and legends, the wildlife, and the and the varied flora and fauna make it one of the most diverse regions in the world. This region is home to numerous ethnic groups with distinct cultures, languages, traditions, heritage, food habits, and lifestyles. This makes the region incredibly vibrant and colourful. Though the people in our region practice different customs, traditions, and beliefs, one thing that binds us together is our common identity as Indians. Since time immemorial, the Northeastern region has been culturally and spiritually connected with the Indian nationhood. From the days of the two great Indian epics to the revival of the Bhakti movement or to the days of India’s freedom struggle and later, the Northeast has always been an integral part of India.

Northeast India is very rich in folk tradition. The folk culture of any ethnic group finds its expression through its oral literature and traditional beliefs, which include folk art, crafts, costumes, customs, beliefs, traditional medicine, recipes, music, dance, games, gestures, etc. The comparative studies of music, dance, and drama in the region shed fruitful and interesting light on certain aspects of the traditional cultures of the region. The Aryan-Hindu influence on non-Aryan non-Hindu tribal people in the Northeast is a striking feature of the folk life of the region. This has led to the integration, assimilation, and absorption of the tribal elements into “non-tribal” folk forms and vice versa. There is also Buddhist influence on different tribes in this region. While Tibetan Buddhism has sway over tribes such as the Monpas and the Sherdukpens, the affiliation of some other tribes of the Tai-Shan group, like the Khamptis, the Phakes, the Khamyangs, the Turungs, and the Aitaniyas, is with Burmese Buddhism. The Buddhist worldview and ethos of these two affiliations are vividly reflected in the folklore of these tribes. In the Brahmaputra valley, the contact of Islam with the indigenous Assamese populations has resulted in the birth of an exquisite body of folksongs, called zikir and zari. These songs are often accompanied by appropriate dance movements that incorporate Islamic teachings in a patently indigenous Assamese format, affiliated with traditional Assamese Vaishnava and other folk forms. They are wonderful examples of integration at the spiritual, social, and artistic levels.

Renowned scholar Dr. Birinchi Kumar Baruah, while writing about the folk culture of Assam, mentioned that several traditional faiths and customs centre around worshipping animals. In Assamese society, cows are worshipped, especially during Rongali Bihu, which is known as Goru Bihu, and many rituals are associated with this. Similarly, there are many traditional faiths associated with worshipping nature, including various animals, stones, trees, etc. Seeking a good harvest, many rituals are performed by different ethnic groups, which form a fascinating part of the traditional culture of the region. From such rituals, many festivals develop, which give distinct identities to the ethnic groups. Moreover, at every stage of human evolution, from birth until death, we find several traditional beliefs and customs being performed in our society.

We can never imagine any folk culture without its festivals and dances. The folk festivals are not just occasions of merriment but also the medium through which the creative spirit of the community finds expression. Various folk dance forms associated with religious occasions, agricultural activities, and ceremonies at the time of birth, marriage, death, etc. enrich the cultural mosaic of the state. The folklore material of the region also reflects the political life of different times. In the case of Assam, there are a number of well-known ballads, such as Barphukanar Geet, which relates the story of the dreaded Burmese invasions of Assam; Maniram Dewanar Geet, which narrates the touching events centering around Maniram Dewan; and the song of Phulgurir Dhewa, which contains an account of the rebellious conduct of the people of Phulguri against the British administration and its aftermath. These ballads are great examples of folklore material reflecting the political life of bygone ages.

For a very long time, there have been concerted efforts by scholars and enthusiasts of the region to document these materials that have a bearing on folklore studies. Some of these works include Bhadrasen Bora’s Ramcharit, which is a collection of riddles apart from ballad texts called Phulkowar and Manikowar; Gopal Chandra Das’ Asamiya Patantarmala, which is a collection of proverbs; Lakshminath Bezbaroa’s collections of tales titled Burhi Air Sadhu and Kakaduta Aru Natilora; Jogesh Chandra Tamuli’s collection of folksongs titled Nichukani, etc. Hem Chandra Barua’s Marriage Customs of the Peoples of Assam and Benudhar Rajkhowa’s Assamese Demonology and Assamese Popular Superstitions are the three earliest notable English publications by Assamese scholars.

The preservation of folk heritage has found a renewed focus in recent times among the people of Assam. This is quite conspicuous in the case of the Bihu festival and the songs and dances associated with it. Essays and monographs, as well as collections of Bihu songs, have immensely helped in the rejuvenation of this festival in line with its pristine glory. Moreover, due to the foresight and dedicated services of pioneers like Dr. Surya Kumar Bhuyan and Dr. Birinchi Kumar Baruah, the study of folk culture as an academic discipline has taken roots in the Northeast. Today, folklore constitutes a major thrust area in the academic programmes of various universities in the region.

Our region has a whole treasure house of folklore material, a study of which, with modern techniques, could yield a wealth of information about the traditional cultures. This will not only help its preservation but also strengthen its cultural heritage, identity, and existence.